General Question on authors

[kafka]

I know that many projects are done freelance and sometimes multiple contributors are involved but I am wondering why Mongoose does not make it a policy of announcing the authors of the works that are upcoming. I know that I will acquire everything but I am more likely to buy something from a Don, Pete, or Martin and make recommendations based upon that - for I know these writers know the OTU inside out rather than an unknown.

Is it to save the writers from the wraith of fandom...we will find out sooner or later. Perhaps, it is to protect writers from feedback when the manuscript is already submitted. Or am I completely wrong.

 

[Vile]

I think you might be waiting a while for any more OTU books by MJD ... :wink:

 

[Egil Skallagrimsson]

Is it to save the writers from the wraith of fandom..

The wrath of fandom I can understand. Are the wraith of fandom stats in S&P somewhere?

Egil

 

[simonh]

Is it to save the writers from the wraith of fandom..

The wrath of fandom I can understand. Are the wraith of fandom stats in S&P somewhere?

Egil

The wraith of fandom actualy only goes after RQ authors, but Traveller writers have to watch out for attacks by gangs of gnarly grognards.

Simon Hibbs

 

[Loz]

Where a writer of a book is fixed in the schedule, Mongoose publicises the name. However, schedules can and do change, and with them the author. FEX, I was down to write the Zhodani book, but when I left Mongoose it was only a month or so before work was due to start on that title, and so its been given to another writer (not sure who).

So lack of publicising a book's writer is usually down to the way the production schedule works; its a fluid thing.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I think Matt has mentioned the authors a few times in his more personalized posts on this board. BUT, I would imagine that the author may change a bit between when the project is announced and when it is actually completed.

I know CSC and the upcoming Deneb Sector books had some author shuffle, so maybe Matt is just covering his posterior.

 

[The Dark Avenger]

There was no author change on CSC, as such. I proposed it and wrote it.
Then some various bits and pieces of not-traditionally-traveller stuff were added by someone who isn't me. I was the main author from start to submission of the main text though. The add-ons don't add up to a huge percentage of the text.

As to Deneb, yes, that one was originally to be written by me after I finished the Reft Sector book. I decided to terminate my involvement with Traveller during writing of Reft Sector, however, so I finished up that project and drew a line under the whole sorry business.

As noted above, I don't expect to be writing anything else for the OTU unless something drastically changes at the FFE end (or someone offers me a large amount of money). I've been out for a year, and in that time I've published several mainstream books, been offered my own TV series, and just today signed the contract on a book-and-DVD project.

I'd still be doing Traveller if the FFE end of it hadn't just plain made it impossible. Perhaps I should be grateful they did, given what's come my way in the last year.

Oh well. I was a full-time professional author before I started writing Traveller and I still am. I'll look at any project if the terms are right, which includes Traveller. But I don't think it's likely somehow.

 

[DFW]

As to Deneb, yes, that one was originally to be written by me after I finished the Reft Sector book. I decided to terminate my involvement with Traveller during writing of Reft Sector, however, so I finished up that project and drew a line under the whole sorry business.

Sorry to hear that. Reft is a great MGT book.

What kind of DVD are you going to be doing?

 

[The Dark Avenger]

It's nothing do do with gaming; it'll be a volume on achieving success in mixed martial arts with a DVD to accompany it.

 

[Dave Chase]

As to Deneb, yes, that one was originally to be written by me after I finished the Reft Sector book. I decided to terminate my involvement with Traveller during writing of Reft Sector, however, so I finished up that project and drew a line under the whole sorry business.

Sorry to hear that. Reft is a great MGT book.

What kind of DVD are you going to be doing?

RUMOR (starting one that is )

I hear that he is creating a whole new music craze. It takes the 70's fade about Ninjas, mixes in some Bethoven and Techno music, with some killer 3D effects that are based on the new 3D HDV TV's that are just hitting the market this last winter.



Dave Chase

 

[AndrewW]

I hear that he is creating a whole new music craze. It takes the 70's fade about Ninjas, mixes in some Bethoven and Techno music, with some killer 3D effects that are based on the new 3D HDV TV's that are just hitting the market this last winter.

It's a new fighting game...

 

[DFW]

It's nothing do do with gaming; it'll be a volume on achieving success in mixed martial arts with a DVD to accompany it.

Wow. You are a versatile author.

 

[The Dark Avenger]

Most of my published work revolves around conflict or military hardware, just from various angles. As a military historian and self-defence instructor I've studied conflict all my life; when I was working in the arms trade I learned a lot about hardware and how it's used.

There's really not such a big difference between presenting made-up stuff in a game book and stuff I've experienced myself.

Some of my books and other publications have been about things outside my main field, eg motorcycles, space exploration or ATM Security. But even there, the general way of writing the project is much the same.

I try to stay away from things like writing rules and such because it's extremely time-consuming and fiddly; I write mainstream non-fiction books for the most part, which isn't too different to writing a game sourcebook. Though the stuff I'm working on (for TV) today is rather different to what I usually do.

 

[smiths121]

MJD - whilst you may have left the Traveller writting universe, it is great you have found projects to interest you, pay the bills and scratch the author's itch - I am glad you still hang around these parts. Hopefully the FFE bit will change, as I notice you still Traveller outside the OTU.

For me personally - Stopped Traveller early in MegaTraveller's reign - real life getting in the way - and all that. Traveller 1248 out of the darkness actually re-ignited my interest in traveller. I got to it late, and only managed to pick up source book1 and 2. Made me purchase the mongoose core rulebook and FFE CDROMs (TNE 2 completed my set) now I have some disposable income. Shame this setting did not carry on, I like the shape of it more than 1201. Hmmm - looking at the bookshelf that was an expensive time ago :wink:

So other than change at FFE, or a rainbow with gold at the end - no other way of tempting you to finish the 1248 ?

Best of luck - and keep hanging around.

 

[The Dark Avenger]

Sadly, 1248 seems impossible to do. Marc has made it impossible to work with him these days (I'll reword that; Marc's inner circle and his way of relying on them have made it impossible; it's not quite the same thing).

More importantly, 1248 was killed by the license sunset* and Mongoose weren't interested in it. So licensing makes it impossible to do more 1248.
I'd like to.

(* - let me sum up the whole sorry mess by using the licensing situation as an example. Marc Miller never informed me (ie Avenger) of the license sunset situation. We found out when his buddy Hunter Gordon, a rival licensee, came into our forum and announced that our license was to end.

Yes, that's right... Marc made a deal with Mongoose that would kill our license and didn't have the courtesy to tell us. Instead he condoned a rival licensee acting as his mouthpiece. Marc's failure to inform us cost Avenger money and in any case was a grave discourtesy towards people who had always fulfilled their licensing obligations. This was not an isolated incident but a symptom of the way FFE now operates.)

One year ago I** terminated my involvement with the Traveller brand. For those who missed the memo, this was not becuase of the license sunset or the way QLI screwed me over... I got past all that. In the end it came down to the way Marc Miller and his 'inner circle' treated me.

** So who do I think I am? Well, I've written more words for Traveller than possibly anyone else, bar none. I've certainly written more in the past 14 years than anyone else, even when someone else got the credit. I contributed vastly to what this game is today, but in the end even I gave up and walked away. It wasn't the fan-rage or the death threats (yes, really) or the tiny payment or the screw-over by QLI. In the end, it was Marc and his inner circle that simply made it impossible for me to remain involved. Great job guys.

Well, I spent today writing for TV. Should be filming my own show later this year. Maybe Traveller needed me, maybe not. But I certainly don't need Traveller.

 

[AndrewW]

Well, I spent today writing for TV. Should be filming my own show later this year. Maybe Traveller needed me, maybe not. But I certainly don't need Traveller.

Now we just need to turn that TV show into a Traveller one...

 

[The Dark Avenger]

I realise you're joking, but the idea makes me feel sick.

That's not intended as humour.

 

[Kilgs]

Mongoose could use a lot more MJD and a lot less "More Books+Incoherent Setting Rules+Kitchen Sink+Unfinished Drafts=$$$."

 

[Garuda]

MJD,

I have several of the books that you've authored and have really enjoyed them all. The quality of your writing is clear and engaging. Sad to hear of you moving on to new pastures and the circumstances belying it, but I wish you well in your new ventures.

 

[The Dark Avenger]

I'm doing a fair bit of work for Terra/Sol games these days, on the Twilight Sector setting.

But as always, most of my work is outside the games industry... even more of it these days than previously.